sproif.com

Being as internet-savvy as the next guy, I’m definitely the kind of person who hasn’t written a check and mailed it in a long time. All my bills are paid online, all my bank statements are electronic. I really hate mail, not only for the earth-loving “but it wastes paper!” reason, but also because it’s annoying to sift through. It just clutters up my living room.

After reading the continuing saga of my friend over at geochurn.com having business accounts opened under his name, I’ve been looking into measures of my own. Since I’m a regular XM Comedy listener, I constantly hear the commercial for LifeLock, so I fired up the ol’ web browser and did some 21st century research.

What they do is nothing super-human. They place fraud flags on your credit accounts and remove your name from junk mail lists and pre-approved credit offers. They do offer services to replace stolen/lost wallets and advisory services for legal help and a $1m insurance policy if, for some reason, your identity is still stolen. But is it worth $10/month? If they cut down on junk mail, I would say yes, again for both the earth-loving reason and the time-saving reason.

But the story takes a slight right at that point. I found this article from the Phoenix New Times. Quick summary: one of the creators of the company formed the idea while in jail under a warrant for a non-paid marker he said was taken out under his stolen identity. But, reading on, you find that now they’re investigating if he actually did take out that marker AND if he stole his father’s identity to open an American Express card…

So, not to get into the argument of right and wrong, the question is, can a viable company providing a useful service come out of a seemingly underhanded person? This guy, Maynard, isn’t the CEO, Todd Davis is. The company seems to hold security in high regard, as per the description of their offices in the article. But what’s to keep this guy, if he is the slimey thief he swears he isn’t, from grabbing a hard drive full of logins, SS#s and credit information and running for the hills?

Then I find out that because of that Phoenix New Times article, Maynard has resgined from the company, but is starting a marketing company and will do contract work for LifeLock. So maybe there was some truth behind thief-tales, but resigning doesn’t help make LifeLock look any better.

If you’re not confused enough, read the comments below that Phoenix New Times article, then remember that anyone can post a comment. Some of those might be from competing companies… Some from people at LifeLock… Some real-life horror stories….

Thanks internet. With all your answers, now I’m more informed, and a lot more confused.

Then there’s the more self-help approach. There is new legislation (well, relatively new) allowing the consumer to put a freeze on their credit account. No inquiries can be made without temporarily lifting this freeze, but the catch is a $10 per-action fee ($10 to place the freeze, $10 to temporarily lift it). That seems to me to be a little better than LifeLock. No middle man who can get his database stolen, no crazy vegas crook backing the idea… Although, no cut down on junk mail either…

So, I haven’t come to a conclusion yet, but I’m now a little more informed. I’ll post more findings as they arise.